Speak Up!

Avoid the 10 deadly sins
that will ruin your presentations.

By Rob Sherman

Every day you have opportunities
to make presentations that demonstrate your leadership abilities. You are
constantly involved in client and staff meetings. Competition also demands
that you present to outside groups such as service and professional organizations
and seminars. In essence, you are always selling yourself and your company
based on your presentation skills.

Here are the 10 biggest
mistakes executives make when they take the floor to speak. Eliminate these
errors from your next presentation and you will not only set yourself apart
from the crowd, you will also strengthen your leadership influence on your entire
organization:

1. Starting with a
whimper

In any presentation,
the first 30 seconds are the "make or break" time. Unfortunately,
many presenters begin with an irrelevant joke or a comment about the weather.
Weak beginnings are missed opportunities to capture your listeners' attention
and demonstrate that your information will bring them real value. Begin
with a provocative statement, a rhetorical question, a surprising fact,
an interesting quote or a story related to your topic. Make a powerful statement
that demands the audience's full attention.

2. Imitating other
speakers

One of the most widely
accepted myths of public speaking is that a speaker must take on a different
persona while on the platform. Effective executives adapt their own style
and do not attempt a wholesale conversion of their personas. You cannot
connect with an audience without authenticity, and your authenticity is
lost when you aren't yourself.

3. Failing to "work
the room"

When you speak to external
groups, make it a point to "work the room." Don't arrive two minutes
before your speech and leave immediately after. Use the time before your
presentation to mingle with the crowd; it enhances your credibility with
listeners. Even if you are speaking at a staff meeting, arrive early and
greet those entering the door. By doing so, you help put your audience at
ease and let them know that this topic is important to you and the firm.

4. Forgetting to relax

Every speaker has some
anxiety before taking the platform. Use your time before the presentation
to relax. One common technique is to breathe deeply from your diaphragm
for two minutes. If that doesn't help, try some simple exercises such as
shrugging your shoulders, doing head rolls or stretching your arms and legs.

5. Reading a speech
word for word

What glues so many presenters
to the written text? Fear. They write out every word of their speech and
then cling to it like children clutching a mother's skirt. Great presenters
have learned how to use "keywords" to jog their memory. After
they write out their speech word for word, they create a keyword outline,
which prompts complete thoughts as they speak. When you know your material,
a keyword outline is all you need.

6. Using someone else's
stories

Any concept is easier
to understand if it is punctuated by your own experiences. Professional
speakers know that what they've learned from life's lessons will help them
bond with the audience. A personal story from your own experience helps
you connect with your audience and illustrates facts better than any other
presentation tool. Everyone has remarkable stories that are there for the
telling.

7. Speaking without
passion

Powerful, memorable addresses
are the result of the speaker's deep passion for his or her subject. It is
virtually impossible to inspire others if you are not personally committed
to your topic. Always speak on a subject that excites you; otherwise, it will
be difficult to get your audience to do something as a result of your presentation.
An added benefit: your fears will dissipate as you speak about your subject
matter.

8. Ending with Q&As

Most presentations end
with a question and answer session. This is the equivalent of ending with
a whimper. Instead, tell the audience that you will take questions and then
say, "We will move to our closing point." After the Q&A, reiterate
a point made during the presentation, or conclude with a quote or call to
action. Whatever you end with, whether a story that ties into your main
theme or a summary of the main points, make it memorable.

9. Failing to prepare

Before you begin, you
must know what your ultimate goal is. Do you want to inform people? Entertain
them? Change their attitude? Motivate or inspire them? Whatever your objective,
you need to fine-tune it before you reach the podium to speak.

10. Failing to practice

Were your business skills
perfected after your first day on the job? Are the greatest sports figures
the ones fresh out of high school? Just like any other learned skill, becoming
an effective presenter takes practice and a commitment to learning.